Brake controlled throttle holding means for vehicle

ABSTRACT

A throttle holding device for use in a motor vehicle which is coupled to the throttle, the device holding the throttle in an advanced position so as to relieve the necessity of the operator maintaining a pressure on the accelerator pedal, the arrangement being such that upon application of the brake, the device for holding the throttle in a certain position will release the holding.

United States Patent Wilkins, Jr. 1 July 22, 1975 1 BRAKE CONTROLLED THROTTLE 2,670,822 3/1954 Reilly 192/3 T 2,891,417 6/1959 Beegle 192/3 T x HOLDING MEANS FOR VEHICLE James A. Wilkins, Jr., 422 Sanford Rd., Westport, Mass. 02790 Filed: May 8, 1974 Appl. No.: 467,941

Inventor:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1950 Patterson 192/3 T X Primary Examiner-Benjamin W. Wyche Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Barlow & Barlow [57] ABSTRACT A throttle holding device for use in a motor vehicle which is coupled to the throttle, the device holding the throttle in an advanced position so as to relieve the necessity of the operator maintaining a pressure on the accelerator pedal, the arrangement being such that upon application of the brake, the device for holding the throttle in a certain position will release the holdmg.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures 37 e- I 27 r A PATENTEDJUL 22 ms BRAKE CONTROLLED THROTTLE HOLDING MEANS FOR VEHICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Heretofore throttle holding means for motor vehicles have been utilized but have been more or less of a complicated nature such as shown in US. Pat. Nos. 2,822,902 and 2,83 l ,367. In the latter of these patents there is a plunger which operates against a gear wheel but moves substantially along a radius of the gear wheel and not at an angle to engage the face of the tooth. The rotating means for the gear wheel will cause friction on the plunger when it is desired to retract the plunger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The device may be formed as a unit attachable to the fire wall of a motor vehicle, within which unit there is a drum with a flexible cable wound thereabout, the free end being attached to an arm which operates the fuel control, the drum being rotationally biased so as to maintain the cable taut. The device contains a solenoid which operates a plunger to engage the face of one of the cogs of a gear that is coupled to the drum and the solenoid plunger is so angled that when it is de energized, the plunger which engagesthe gear, will be assisted by gravity in moving to its retracted position. The solenoid is connected to the battery with a switch for operating the same and is also connected so that when the brake of the motor vehicle is operated, the solenoid coil will be de-energized through the tail lamp or tail light to release the energy in the solenoid sufficient so that it becomes inoperative. By the solenoid plunger engaging the face of the cog tooth, there is substantially no friction applied for the plunger to move to its release position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view largely schematic showing the electrical connections and the connection of the drum to the fuel control lever; and

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the box device shown in FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, designates a casing which may be attached as at 11 to the fire wall 12 of a motor vehicle. Within this casing there is a shaft 13 extending thereacross, and upon this shaft 13 is rotatably mounted a drum 14 upon which a cable 15 may be wound when rotated clockwise as shown in FIG. 1. A spiral spring 16 having one end anchored to the shaft tends to rotate this drum 14 clockwise as seen in FIG. 1 to wind the cable 15 which may be a beaded chain or some other suitable cable thereon. A cog wheel 17 having a plurality of gear teeth 18 is attached to rotate with the drum 14, and each of these gear teeth has a rear or trailing face 19 during the rotation of the gear clockwise to wind the cable thereon. The included angle of each gear tooth is substantially 80, thus providing a rear face 19 at substantially 40 to a radial line to the point of the tooth. A solenoid 20 has a plunger 21 that reciprocates therein in substantially the plane of rotation of the cog wheel 17 as seen in FIG. 2. The angle of the solenoid 20 is such that the plunger 21, having an end face at right angles to its direction of movement, will squarely engage the rear face 19 of a tooth of the cog wheel and substantially clear the next tooth thereto over which it extends as seen in FIG. 1.

The solenoid 20 is connected to a battery 25 by means of the positive lead 26 interrupted by switch 27 to the positive side 28 of the battery 25. The vehicle brake lever 30 has a normally open switch 31, the positive terminal 32 of which is connected to the positive side of the battery by a lead 33, while the terminal 34 of this switch is connected to the tail light 35 through the lead 36 and thence this tail light by lead 37 is grounded as at 38 to complete its circuit to the ground 39 of the battery. Upon moving the brake lever 30 clockwise about its pivot 40, its arm 41 will cause the normally open switch 31 to be closed.

In some motor vehicles, and by way of example, an accelerator pedal 45, pivoted as at 46, is connected by a rod 47 to a lever arm 48 pivoted as at 49 and connected by another arm 50 from a point 51 on the opposite side of the pivot 49 to the arm 52 of a fuel valve means which is provided as at 53 and controls the fuel fed to the engine. A spring 54 attached to an arm 55 on the opposite side of pivot 53 from the arm 52 serves to return the lever to neutral or normal position.

OPERATION As the accelerator pedal 45 is swung counterclockwise about its pivot 46 to increase the feed of the fuel to an engine, it moves arm 52 clockwise about its pivot 53 tensioning spring 54, thus releasing the flexible cable 15 so that the spring 16 of the drum 14 will wind the cable on the drum. When the desired speed of the vehicle has been attained, the switch 27 is hand operated to energize the solenoid 20 and cause the plunger 21 to move in a direction to engage one of the cog teeth of the gear 17. Pressure on the accelerator pedal 45 may then be released and the speed of the vehicle will be maintained as the fuel control will be held in the position to which it has been advanced. If, however, the switch 27 is opened, then the solenoid will be deenergized and all parts will be returned to their normal position and the flexible cable 15 will be drawn forwardly by the spring 54 which is more powerful than spring 16 so that the spring 16 will be tensioned on the drum.

A release will also be caused if the brake pedal 30 is swung about its pivot 40 so as to close the switch 31 which will fault the ground of the solenoid by passing current through line 36, tail lamp 35, then wire 37 to the ground 38, thus relieving the majority of the current going to solenoid 20 and permitting plunger 21 to retract. Retraction will be assisted by spring 54 pulling upon the flexible cable 15 wound about the drum. The solenoid when energized is more powerful than the spring 54.

The solenoid being at the angle shown inclined to both the vertical and the horizontal will permit of gravity assisting in retracting the plunger 21 into the solenoid when the solenoid is de-energized.

I claim:

1. A throttle holding means for a vehicle comprising a fuel feeding means including valve means and an arm to operate the same,

an accelerator pedal to operate said arm,

a drum,

a flexible cable connected to said arm and said drum,

spring means to rotate said drum in one direction to wrap said cable about said drum,

3 4 a toothed cog gear attached to said drum to rotate gear.

therewith the teeth of said cogs each having a face 2. Throttle holding means as in claim 1 wherein there inclined to the gear radius, is a brake pedal and means actuated by the brake pedal a solenoid having a Plunger reciprocatable in a dime to fault the ground circuit to the solenoid and. deenertion at substantially right angles to the face of the 5 cog of the gear it is to engage, said direction being at an angle to a vertical plane and a horizontal plane so that the retraction of Said plunger is 3. Throttle holding means as in claim 1 wherein the sisted by gravity plane of rotation ofthe cog gear and the plane of recipan electric circuit for said solenoid and means to conrocatioh of the Solenoid Plunger are Substantially the trol the circuit to energize said solenoid and move Sa said plunger into engagement with a cog of said gize the solenoid by completing a circuit to the positive voltage source. 

1. A throttle holding means for a vehicle comprising a fuel feeding means including valve means and an arm to operate the same, an accelerator pedal to operate said arm, a drum, a flexible cable connected to said arm and said drum, spring means to rotate said drum in one direction to wrap said cable about said drum, a toothed cog gear attached to said drum to rotate therewith the teeth of said cogs each having a face inclined to the gear radius, a solenoid having a plunger reciprocatable in a direction at substantially right angles to the face of the cog of the gear it is to engage, said direction being at an angle to a vertical plane and a horizontal plane so that the retraction of said plunger is assisted by gravity, an electric circuit for said solenoid and means to control the circuit to energize said solenoid and move said plunger into engagement with a cog of said gear.
 2. Throttle holding means as in claim 1 wherein there is a brake pedal and means actuated by the brake pedal to fault the ground circuit to the solenoid and deenErgize the solenoid by completing a circuit to the positive voltage source.
 3. Throttle holding means as in claim 1 wherein the plane of rotation of the cog gear and the plane of reciprocation of the solenoid plunger are substantially the same. 